1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer software and, more particularly, to an insurance damage assessment system that provides automated responses based upon image analysis techniques.
2. Description of the Related Art
The insurance industry performs assessments of damage claims in a labor intensive and inefficient manner. Normally, an insured individual must report a claim to an insurance company. Depending on the damage, the insurance company may assign an adjustor or repair shop to physically inspect the damaged property and estimate repair costs. During the physical inspection, the damage assessor records damage metrics, photographs the damaged property, and estimates a repair cost, which will result in a claims payment based upon his or her evaluation.
Depending on workload volume, it can take a substantial amount of time before a damage assessor can be assigned to handle a given claim, or the insured can take the damaged item to an approved repair shop for a preliminary assessment. This can be especially true when the adjustor has to travel significant distances to inspect damaged property. This time delay can be extremely aggravating to the insured, who often is suffering a hardship while an insurance claim is pending. Further, the time delay can be costly to the insurance company in situations where the insurance company is required to provide temporary relief for the insured. For example, an automobile insurance company may be required to pay for a car rental until an automobile is repaired. Similarly, a home insurance company may be required to providing temporary living conditions until a home is repaired.
Occasionally, repair agents in approved repair shops are used in lieu of adjustors, most likely in car damage situations. In these cases, the repair agents are authorized to assess the damage for the insurance company. Here, an insurance company relies upon trust and contractual relationships with a repair agent for a proper damage assessment. This practice, however, can limit the number of repair agents that are authorized by the insurance agency, often frustrating insured individuals who may find it difficult to bring the damaged item in for assessment. Further, insurance companies utilizing this practice can be easily overcharged for repairs, can be subject to excessive repairs, and/or repairs can be made in an inferior fashion.